Agricultural system with deck plate positioning control

Abstract

An agricultural system comprises a stalk-diameter sensing system associated with a row unit and configured to sense diameter-related data of respective stalks and generate signals based on the diameter-related data. Deck plates associated with the row unit are spaced apart to define a deck plate spacing. A deck plate positioning system is coupled to at least one of the deck plates to adjust the deck plate spacing. A control system is configured to communicate with the stalk-diameter sensing system and the deck plate positioning system. The control system is configured to receive the signals, determine a statistical representative stalk diameter for a sample of stalks based on the diameter-related data, determine a target deck plate spacing based on the statistical representative stalk diameter, and output a control signal to command the deck plate positioning system to set the deck plate spacing based on the target deck plate spacing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An agricultural system for use with an agricultural header, the agricultural system comprising:
 a stalk-diameter sensing system associated with a row unit of the agricultural header and configured to sense diameter-related data of respective stalks from respective outer surfaces thereof and generate signals based on the diameter-related data, deck plates associated with the row unit and spaced apart to define a deck plate spacing between the deck plates,   a deck plate positioning system coupled to at least one of the deck plates to adjust the deck plate spacing, and   a control system configured to communicate with the stalk-diameter sensing system and the deck plate positioning system, the control system configured to:
 receive the signals, 
 determine a statistical representative stalk diameter for a sample of stalks based on the diameter-related data, the sample of stalks having a sample size of at least two stalks, 
 determine a target deck plate spacing based on the statistical representative stalk diameter plus a nominal clearance between the statistical representative stalk diameter and the deck plates, and 
 output a control signal to command the deck plate positioning system to set the deck plate spacing based on the target deck plate spacing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the statistical representative stalk diameter is based on an average stalk diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the statistical representative stalk diameter is based on an average stalk diameter and an associated standard deviation. 
     
     
         4 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the statistical representative stalk diameter is based on a percentile. 
     
     
         5 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the sample size is a predetermined number of stalks. 
     
     
         6 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the sample size is the number of stalks sensed by the stalk-diameter sensing system in a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         7 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the sample size is the number of stalks sensed by the stalk-diameter sensing system in a predetermined distance of travel. 
     
     
         8 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the statistical representative stalk diameter for each sample of stalks of successive samples of stalks at a sample frequency, each sample of stalks has the sample size of at least two stalks, and the successive sample of stalks comprises the sample of stalks. 
     
     
         9 . The agricultural system of  claim 8 , wherein the sample frequency is based on each time the stalk-diameter sensing system senses a new stalk such that each sample of stalks comprises the respective new stalk and a predetermined number of preceding stalks. 
     
     
         10 . The agricultural system of  claim 8 , wherein the sample frequency is based on a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         11 . The agricultural system of  claim 8 , wherein the sample frequency is based on a predetermined distance of travel. 
     
     
         12 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the nominal clearance is selectable by a human operator. 
     
     
         13 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the nominal clearance automatically independent of a selection of the nominal clearance by a human operator. 
     
     
         14 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the nominal clearance is fixed.